Hashtag Research Template
Build platform-specific hashtag sets in Google Sheets with AI: broad, niche and branded tags per topic using =GPT() and =GPT_LIST(). Free hashtag template.
Reusing the same ten hashtags on every post is how reach flatlines. This template generates a balanced set — broad, niche and branded — per topic and per platform, so each post gets tags matched to where it’s published.
Layout
| Column | Content |
|---|---|
| A | Post topic or caption |
| B | Platform |
| C | Generated hashtag set |
The formula
In C2, then drag down:
=GPT("Generate 15 "&B2&" hashtags for this post: 5 broad high-reach, 7 niche, 3 long-tail or community tags. Follow "&B2&" conventions for count and style. Return space-separated hashtags only.", A2)
For a quick brainstorm around one theme, =GPT_LIST() spills each idea into its own row:
=GPT_LIST("20 niche Instagram hashtag ideas for a vegan meal-prep brand, one hashtag per line")
Variations
- Trend check:
=PERPLEXITY("Which hashtags are currently used around "&A2&" on "&B2&"? List 10.")— Perplexity is web-aware, so this catches recent tags the base models can’t know. - Branded set: keep your brand and campaign tags in a cell (
$E$1) and append them:=C2&" "&$E$1. - Caption + tags in one pass: pair this with a caption column —
=GPT("Write a "&B2&" caption for this topic, then the hashtags on a new line.", A2)— or use the social media calendar template for full scheduling.
Get started
- Install GPT for Sheets from the Google Workspace Marketplace (free tier included, no API keys needed).
- Copy the template or paste the formulas into your own sheet.
- Drag the formula down your rows, then use Replace all GPT formulas with results in the sidebar.
Related prompt guides: captions & hashtags generator, Instagram descriptions with hashtags, Pinterest captions & hashtags.
FAQ
Does it know live hashtag volumes?
=GPT() works from the model’s knowledge of hashtag conventions, not live counts. For current trends, add a =PERPLEXITY() column — Perplexity answers with live web knowledge.
Which platforms does it cover?
Any — Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, YouTube. The platform name in column B switches count and style conventions automatically: fewer, professional tags for LinkedIn; more, discovery-oriented tags for Instagram.
Why mix broad, niche and branded hashtags?
Broad tags give reach, niche tags give relevance to smaller engaged audiences, branded tags build your own. The prompt asks for the mix explicitly so every set is balanced instead of ten variations of the same big tag.